NEW YORK - The first two days of the NCAA Tournament tied with 1998 and 2000 for the highest-rated since 1997.
CBS's two-day coverage averaged a 4.8 overnight rating with an 11 share. That's up 7 percent from 2002's 4.5 with an 11 share and an increase of 2 percent from the 4.7 with an 11 share in 2001.
The ratings for the first two days of the tournament last year were down considerably, with viewers drawn to war coverage. CBS even moved some basketball action to cable channel ESPN so the news division could air news about the war in Iraq.
CBS' four prime-time windows this year garnered an average rating of 5.9 with an 11 share. That's an increase of 37 percent over last year's 4.3 with an 8.
Overnight ratings measure the 55 largest TV markets in the United States, covering nearly 70 percent of the country. Each overnight rating point represents about 735,000 TV homes.
The share is the percentage of homes with sets in use.
CINCINNATI-ILLINOIS: The guard who got away is back to torment Bearcats coach Bob Huggins.
Huggins was the first to recruit Dee Brown at Proviso East High in Illinois, where the flashy guard developed into the state's top prep player. But Brown chose the Illini.
Huggins hasn't found a quality point guard and Brown is in position to knock Cincinnati out of the second round.
"Did you watch us (in the first round, when East Tennessee State point guard Tim Smith scored 26)?" Huggins said. "We kind of need a point guard, if you haven't figured that out."
Huggins' two primary point guards, Nick Williams and Chadd Moore, played so miserably this season that he lets forwards handle the ball on the perimeter, going with a bigger lineup.
Asked if he noticed what Smith did to the Bearcats, Brown exclaimed, "Haw!"
FAMU: Coach Mike Gillespie got worried when police arrived at the Rattlers' hotel to escort the team to the arena Friday.
"When the police show up, we always think one of our guys is going to be arrested," he said jokingly. "So our guys panicked when they came. I do have good kids, but it was the first time we ever did have a police escort for something good."
Florida A&M hung with Kentucky but lost 96-76.
"I'm just happy that we made it here," guard Demarcus Wilkins said. "We stayed in a hotel that had a TV in the bathroom. I just wish I had another week, man."
KANSAS: The Jayhawks expect to have forward Wayne Simien, their leading scorer and rebounder, available today against Pacific.
Simien, who aggravated a groin injury in the first round, is probable. He leads averages 17.6 points and 9.1 rebounds.
"He's sore. He couldn't play today," coach Bill Self said Saturday. "But when the juices get flowing and he has time to get into it, I think he'll be able to convince himself that he'll be able to go."
RICHARDSON'S BACK: Former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson was in the stands for Alabama-Birmingham's 102-100 win over Washington on Friday night.
Richardson sat with the Blazer fans and waved at defenders to get back late in the game.
UAB coach Mike Anderson spent 20 years with Richardson, 17 as an Arkansas assistant.
"He was a tremendous inspiration to be here," Anderson said.
